Foreign relations

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and China escalated their acrimonious trade war on Thursday, implementing punitive 25 percent tariffs on $16 billion worth of each other's goods, even as mid-level officials from both sides resumed talks in Washington.

The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) has welcomed a 47.85 million dollar investment for improvements to the facilities at the US naval base at Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete, describing it as a "further indication of increased defense cooperation between the United States and Greece."

Turkey will chair the last session of the ongoing 2018 disarmament conference in Geneva, it was announced on Aug. 20.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic's pledge that Belgrade will "not shelter anyone who fights against Turkish interests" has alarmed rights lawyers in Serbia, who warn that extraditions could violate Serbian laws and international obligations.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed solidarity with Turkey during a phone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Aug. 13 a four-way Syria summit "is planned in the upcoming future", with the leaders of Russia, France, Turkey and Germany attending.

The Turkish Trade Ministry has said Turkey would keep defending domestic steel and aluminum exporters on any international platform against additional United States tariffs, which are "against World Trade Organization [WTO] rules."

Russia warned Friday that if the US followed through with threats to impose further harsh economic sanctions it would be seen as a "declaration of economic war".

The Trump administration is imposing a host of new sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of a former British spy, after months of discussion about how to respond to the March attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

The president's spokeswoman, Madalina Dobrovolschi, said, on Tuesday, that the Government's cut to the Presidential Administration's budget is of a nature to render impossible the hosting of the Three Seas Initiative Summit.