MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. The decision on raising retirement age in Russia since 2019 was the most challenging one for Russian authorities over the past decades, but it was made for a long-term perspective, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian TV channels.

"You asked about the timeframe of such steps. Together with you we understand that such decisions cannot be reviewed often. It’s evident that this decision is aimed at a long-term perspective," Medvedev said, noting that last time the decisions on the pension age in the country were made nearly 70 years ago.

Medvedev recalled that the decision on raising the retirement age was a compromise solution. For women this will be an increase by five years instead of eight, as initially proposed, and certain groups of citizens will continue receiving social benefits.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 3 signed a law on the pension reform. The law stipulates raising the pension age by five years from 60 to 65 for men and from 55 to 60 for women. The gradual pension age hike will begin from 2019. The transition period will last until 2028.