The agreement, inked during the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) General Assembly in Cyprus, includes Ukraine’s Suspilne, Lithuania’s LRT, Latvijas Televīzija, Latvijas Radio in Latvia, and Estonia’s ERR.

The memorandum’s main objective is to foster unity among EBU members and establish robust mechanisms for mutual support during emergencies.

The initiative seeks to ensure the continuous operation of public broadcasters amid crises by facilitating the exchange of information, knowledge, technical resources, and logistical support.

The agreement also outlines provisions for aiding any EBU member broadcaster unable to operate effectively in its homeland due to war or other crises. This support could involve offering access to communication channels and platforms to disseminate critical information to the public.

Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė, speaking on behalf of Lithuania’s LRT, highlighted the measures taken by the channel based on Ukraine’s experience during the war.

“In the face of the war in Ukraine, we also immediately started preparing for possible war scenarios. Learning from Ukraine’s experience, we have already ensured that if LRT’s infrastructure is destroyed or seized, LRT’s data will be safe and it will be able to continue broadcasting from data centers outside Lithuania,” she said.

The Baltic and Ukrainian public broadcasters have also invited other EBU members to join the initiative.

In the future, the signatories plan to enhance security for journalists, establish backup correspondents’ stations, and facilitate broadcast transmissions from secure locations abroad.