MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. Russia’s former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev dubbed the government’s resignation as a routine event and called to take it calmly, Medvedev said in a televised interview on Channel One on Saturday.

"In general, the resignation of a government should be always taken absolutely calmly. There is nothing extraordinary about that. It happens throughout the world, it happens in our country. Maybe, it did not use to take place very often in recent years, but nevertheless, it is a totally routine event," Medvedev said.

"Moreover, when a government is being formed, I will say frankly, both a president and a prime minister, whoever president or prime minister are, not only discuss issues before the cabinet appointment, but also the issues of potential resignations. It is absolutely normal," he added.

Resignation and appointment

Medvedev and his cabinet offered their resignation on Wednesday night after Russian President Vladimir Putin had delivered his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly (both houses of Russia’s parliament), announcing ambitious measures of social protection for Russians and besides, putting forward a proposal to amend Russia’s Constitution. In particular, he spoke about delegating to the State Duma the authority of approving the candidate for prime minister, along with the deputy prime ministers and ministers nominated by the new prime minister. Later in the day, at Putin’s meeting with the cabinet, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said it was right amid those conditions for the government to resign in conformity with Article 117 of Russia’s Constitution.

The president nominated Mikhail Mishustin, the head of Russia’s tax service, for prime minister. On January 16, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, backed the candidate at its plenary session and Putin immediately signed a decree appointing Mikhail Mishustin as the country’s prime minister.

Under Article 112 of Russia’s Constitution, within seven days after their appointment a prime minister submits proposals to the president about composition of the federal executive bodies and nominates candidates for deputy prime ministers and ministers. Mishustin said he would name his cabinet in the coming days.