This year’s General Assembly of the Association of Balkan Chambers (ABC) was held on 10 September 2025, in Podgorica, Montenegro. The key theme of the event, under Montenegro’s presidency of the Association, was artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the most important drivers of future economic development. Opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Nina Drakić, President of the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro, and by Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Vice-President of Eurochambres and President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB).

Drakić emphasized that artificial intelligence offers exceptional opportunities for enhancing competitiveness, efficiency, and innovation, while at the same time raising questions of how to safeguard ethical standards, ensure compliance with regulations, and prepare the workforce for the new digital era. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu underlined that cooperation and partnership are more necessary than ever in today’s geopolitical environment. “The membership of the remaining Balkan countries in the EU is inevitable, and we hope that enlargement will be recognized as a priority in the next budget of the European Union, in order to send clear signals to candidate countries,” stated Hisarcıklıoğlu.

He stressed the importance of improving the interconnectivity of Balkan countries with the global market, noting that investments in road, rail, and port infrastructure would facilitate the flow of trade. Turning to the subject of artificial intelligence, he emphasized its development as an inevitable part of the new industrial revolution. “Artificial intelligence today is as important as the steam engine was for the first industrial revolution. The business community will play a key role in these changes,” Hisarcıklıoğlu concluded.

Representatives of the Balkan chambers of commerce and Eurochambres also attended a lecture titled “Transformation of Business Processes with Artificial Intelligence” delivered by Milutin Pavićević of the Montenegrin AI Association. The event continued with a discussion among chamber representatives, who particularly highlighted the need to implement artificial intelligence and prepare for the changes it brings to business models and corporate culture, as well as the privacy challenges imposed by such a transformation.

During the meeting, the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro handed over the presidency of the Association of Balkan Chambers to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania. The Economic Chamber of North Macedonia was represented at the event by Prof. Dr. Marjan Bojadjiev, Vice President of the Chamber.