MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov praised the creation of the Mir national payment system calling it an alternative to Visa and Mastercard payments system. He was speaking during the New Horizons marathon, held by the Znanie (Knowledge) association.
"The National Payment Card System is one of the most important components. The decision of the Central Bank, the decision of the country's leadership to create such an alternative to Visa and Mastercard worked perfectly. We can see it now," Siluanov said.
He recalled that by now Mir cards are accepted for payments in ten countries.
As of April1, 2022, the number of Mir cards issued by Russian banks exceeded 125 million, which is a 10/3% increase since the beginning of the year. In particular, in March, the number of cards issued increase by almost 10 million cards (or 8.1%).
In March, Visa and Mastercard decided to suspend the provision of services on the territory of the Russian Federation. After that the Bank of Russia reported that all cards of these international payment systems issued by Russian banks would continue to work in the country in the usual mode until their expiration date, but will not work abroad and in foreign online stores. It was also noted that many banks said they would extend the validity of these cards. After that, banks will reissue Mir cards for their customers.
In case of traveling abroad, the Bank of Russia recommended taking cash and the Mir card for those countries where it is accepted: Turkey, Vietnam, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
In late March, head of the National Payment Card System Vladimir Komlev said in an interview with Naila Asker-zade in the Vesti program on the Russia 1 channel, said that the NPCS was negotiating the possibility of using Mir cards in Cuba.