MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/. The decision of Armenian banks to stop operations with Mir cards will be a loss specifically for Armenia and its residents, head of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market, Anatoly Aksakov, told TASS.
Earlier, RBC reported that cards of the Russian payment system Mir will no longer be accepted at the ATMs and POS terminals of most banks in Armenia from March 30.
"Obviously, this is all happening under American pressure. Of course, for Armenia this is a loss. Because very many residents of Armenia and Russian citizens who often go there (to Armenia - TASS), including Armenians, use Mir card. <…> In fact, there are more disadvantages for Armenia itself, for Russia - well, they will not accept and carry out settlements. They are creating problems for themselves. I am sure that a way out will be found," he said.
Aksakov noted that it is possible for Russia to use digital financial assets.
"We adopted a law on the possibility of using digital financial assets for international payments. And now this process will gradually develop," the lawmaker said.
On the decision by Armenian banks
According to RBC, cards of the Russian payment system Mir will stop working at the ATMs and POS terminals of most banks in Armenia starting on March 30, 2024, with the exception of the infrastructure of VTB Armenia Bank (a subsidiary of the Russian VTB). Currently, Mir cards work in Armenia and are accepted by local banks.
In late February, Bereke Bank, former subsidiary of Sberbank and the Kazakh bank Freedom Finance, announced that it would terminate operations with cards of the Mir payment system.
On February 23, 2024, the US Department of the Treasury added the operator of the Mir payment system, NSPK JSC, to the sanctions list.
On its end, the Mir payment system is not restricting work with Armenian banks, the press service for the National Payment Card System (NSPK), told TASS.