Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on Thursday granting recently elected speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko permanent Security Council member status.
"I have signed a decree today on your inclusion in the list of Security Council's permanent members. Finally, there will be a woman in our male team," Medvedev told Matviyenko during their meeting on Thursday.
Russia's Security Council is chaired by the president and is tasked with developing national security policy.
On Wednesday, senators voted to accept former St. Petersburg Governor Matviyenko as the Russian parliament's upper house speaker, the first time in Russian history a woman has held the country's third-highest office.
