Russian President Putin signs new law on appointing PM, forming govt
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Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a video conference with members of the Security Council in Moscow, Russia, November 6, 2020. /Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a video conference with members of the Security Council in Moscow, Russia, November 6, 2020. /Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new law on appointing the prime minister and other members of the Cabinet, TASS News Agency reported on Friday. 

Under the new law, the president appoints the prime minister, deputy prime ministers and federal ministers after their approval by the State Duma (lower house of parliament); the president appoints defense, interior and foreign ministers after consultations with the Federation Council (upper house of parliament). 

The president is obliged to submit his candidate for the premiership to the State Duma within two weeks after taking office or after the government's resignation.

If the candidate is rejected by the State Duma, the president must submit another candidate within a week. If the State Duma rejects the candidate three times, the president can appoint the prime minister without its approval and will have the right to disband the State Duma.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin presents a report on the government's performance in 2019 during a plenary meeting of the State Duma in Moscow, Russia, July 22, 2020. /Getty

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin presents a report on the government's performance in 2019 during a plenary meeting of the State Duma in Moscow, Russia, July 22, 2020. /Getty

The president can also dismiss any government member – including the prime minister – without dissolving the Cabinet. 

Any Russian citizen who is at least 30 years of age and has no foreign citizenship or residence permit of another country is eligible to be a government minister.

Putin orders efforts to implement Paris Agreement

Putin has also signed a decree ordering the Russian government to work towards meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement to fight climate change. 

In a decree published on Wednesday, the Russian president ordered the government to aim for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 of up to 30 percent below levels in 1990. 

On the other hand, he said any action to cut emissions must take account of the need to ensure steady and balanced socio-economic development and ordered the government to draw up and ratify a socio-economic strategy up to 2050 that factored in lower emissions. 

Russia is the world's fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. 

(With input from agencies)

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