Russia, Egypt discuss investigation of NATO operations in Libya

Egypt may join Russia in demanding an investigation of NATO operations in Libya, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amrsaid said Wednesday. Speaking to reporters after talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Amr said Moscow and Cairo have been discussing the idea proposed by Russia "with full seriousness." "We are considering this issue and consulting with Russian colleagues and will make a decision later," Amr was quoted by RIA Novosti news agency as saying. Lavrov reiterated that Moscow demanded an investigation of NATO actions after media reports said airstrikes killed dozens of civilians in Libya. The two diplomats said Russia and Egypt would continue to pay close attention to the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, demanding that any changes be determined through dialogue "by peaceful means and without external interference." Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, last week urged NATO to investigate civilian deaths in Libya, after the New York Times reported dozens of Libyan civilians were killed during NATO's eight-month military operation. The action was rejected by the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., who called Moscow's demand an attempt to distract the international community from current events in Syria. NATO also said there were no civilian casualties during the operation.