Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will start consultations with new government member candidates on Wednesday.
“I will look at this draft decree [on cabinet structure], sign it and start consultations,” Putin said during a meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who had handed him proposals on the structure and makeup of the new cabinet.
“I will start tomorrow,” Putin said.
Putin was sworn in as president for a third nonconsecutive term on May 7. His previous two terms had been in 2000-2008. Medvedev, who was Russia’s president in 2008-2012 when Putin was the country's premier, was appointed prime minister following Putin’s inauguration as president last week.
At earlier consultations with parliamentary factions, Medvedev said the cabinet would be 80 percent new. No specific candidacies were named.
