If Belarus does not solve the demographic problem, the country will face a catastrophe, said President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Answering a question about the reduction of the period for maternity leave in Belarus, Lukashenko stated that the country cannot take such a step, as it is necessary to stimulate the birth rate in Belarus. "The biggest problem in the country is demographic. So everything for the children—both the extension of the mother's capital and the apartments. If we don’t increase the population, it will be a catastrophe," said the Belarusian president.
According to him, Belarus has a small population, which is why the country is often called small. "What is a population of 9.5 or 10 million? It's nothing. In the first phase we [Belarus] should reach 15, 20 million, then we will be like Europe in terms of population density," Aleksandr Lukashenko added.