Kochanova: strengthening the status of the family and promotion of traditional values is Belarus’ unshakable priority

The Belarusian society is based on well-being of the country and families, on spiritual comfort and desire to provide children and grandchildren with higher standards and quality of life – as stated by Natalya Kochanova, the Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, at today’s plenary session that discussed family values in the context of their contribution to making the state stronger

As noted by Ms. Kochanova, today’s meeting was not just a festive event, but an opportunity to join the spiritual and moral origins, continue a dialogue based on creativity, unity and harmony, discuss urgent tasks and work out ways to preserve the fundamental family values and the inviolability of society. With this in view, a roadmap for further joint actions in the implementation of Belarus’ family policy would be prepared.

“In his Address to the Belarusian People and Parliament, President said: ‘The family takes a leading position in the system of values of Belarusians… It is necessary to create an environment favourable for the life of families, and a positive example of parents is a reliable way of educating a decent person from early childhood’,” Ms. Kochanova noted. “Strengthening the status of the family and promotion of traditional values, support for motherhood, fatherhood and childhood are an unshakable national priority of Belarus.”

The politician then referred to the data of a recent national survey, according to which the majority of residents of our country believe that there is nothing more important than motherhood and fatherhood, and the average Belarusian dreams of a family with two or three children.

“The fact that the family is important for our people is confirmed by the latest population census,” Ms. Kochanova noted. Today, every third family has two babies. There are almost 70 percent more large families now: 122,000+, and 80 percent of them have three children. The preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus emphasises the inalienable right of our people to self-determination, the preservation of national identity and sovereignty, the centuries-old history of the development of the Belarusian statehood, cultural and spiritual traditions. Article 32 of the Basic Law establishes the concept of marriage as the union of a woman and a man. The updated National Security Concept of Belarus, approved by the seventh Belarusian People's Congress, strengthens the message of protecting and preserving the institution of the traditional Belarusian family as a union between a woman and a man by birth.”