MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. Russia is conducting a dialogue with other countries to minimize their risks when using cards of Russian payment system Mir, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The Kremlin official called restrictions on the use of Mir cards in some countries "the result of completely undisguised pressure and threats, primarily from the United States of America."

"Of course, countries are afraid of primary and secondary sanctions against their financial structures," Peskov noted.

"We continue the dialogue with these countries to minimize such risks and develop interaction algorithms that will completely minimize these risks," he said.

In late February, two large banks in Kazakhstan, Halyk Bank and Bank CenterCredit stopped working with Mir cards. system. The Kazakh Bereke Bank, which was a subsidiary of Sberbank, announced that from March 17 it would stop interaction with the operator of the Mir payment system. At the same time, VTB's subsidiary bank in Kazakhstan announced that they continue to service Mir cards.

On Tuesday, the operator of the national payment system Elcart in Kyrgyzstan announced that Mir cards will stop working in this republic from April 5 due to sanctions imposed by the United States.

Earlier, the press service of Russia’s National Payment Card System (NSPK) reported that it received a notification from the Armenian payment system that from March 30, banks participating in the Armenian Card (ArCa) payment system will stop servicing Mir cards. At the same time, VTB Armenia Bank, a subsidiary bank of the Russian VTB, which services Mir cards in its infrastructure in full, will continue to work with Russian cards in the republic.

Belarus continues to service Mir cards and does not intend to deviate from its allied obligations in this matter, said Advisor and Envoy of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia Alexander Shpakovsky.