On 21 November 2022, Patrick Penninckx, head of the Information Society Department, and Ricardo Gutiérrez, General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), met with Belarusian and Russian journalists in self-exile. Participants shared their experiences and difficulties they have been facing while living and working in exile. The discussion focused on the path forward in providing assistance and protection to journalists.

The meeting was organised in Vilnius on the eve of the conference „Public Service Media for Democracy”, organised by the Council of Europe and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in partnership with the Lithuanian National Radio and Television and hosted by the Lithuanian Parliament.