It was led by Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, proposed by President Vladimir Putin for the approval by the State Duma on March 1, 2004.

On March 5 Fradkov was approved by the State Duma and appointed Prime Minister by the President.

Other 16 ministers of the cabinet were appointed by presidential decrees on March 9.

Seven of the ministers occupied the same positions in Mikhail Kasyanov's Government: Yury Chaika, Alexey Gordeyev, German Gref, Sergei Ivanov, Viktor Khristenko, Alexey Kudrin, and Sergei Shoigu.

It was a temporary cabinet, as Russian legislation stipulates that a new government has to be formed in the beginning of a new presidential term, so the ministers remained acting and were reappointed with minor changes as Mikhail Fradkov's Second Cabinet few days later.