The UHCC priorities also include fostering the cooperation with the Chamber Associations in Central and Eastern European countries (in particular the countries that have recently joined or are about to join the European Union).

In this framework, the UHCC is quite active with the Association of Balkan Chambers (ABC), which comprises the national Chamber associations and unions of the Balkan countries (Albania – Bulgaria – Cyprus – FYROM – Greece – Romania – Turkey), and it assumed the presidency for the year 2014.

Specifically, the UHCC places great importance on interbalkan cooperation, and for this reason it plays a leading role in the Association of Balkan Chambers, being a founding member thereof. This deep involvement aspires to turning the Balkans into a region of economic growth and close commercial cooperation, and at the same time contributes to the gradual and steady rapprochement and convergence of the Balkan countries to the prospect of the unified Europe.

Activities include:

• Assisting member-state businesses to develop bilateral or multilateral relations within the Balkans.
• Establishing the necessary institutions to enable operation of the free market.
• Trade liberalisation in the Balkans.
• Creation and development of a business information system – Exhibitions and trade missions.