MOSCOW, January 16 (RAPSI) – President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed an order relieving Dmitry Medvedev of the Prime Minister’s responsibilities and appointing him to a post of Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, the presidential press office reports.

According to the President, Medvedev always worked and dealt with security and defensive capacity.

The decree comes into force from the day of its signing.

On January 15, the full Cabinet retired from service.