Русский
The Bank of Russia Chairwoman, Elvira Nabiullina has stated that Russia’s MIR card is being accepted in more countries, despite Western sanctions. She was speaking to the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament. The main countries that are accepting MIR transactions are in friendly countries where Russian tourists tend to visit. Some countries are also preparing for their use.
MIR cards can be used in Armenia, Belarus, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Laos, Moldova, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Tajikistan, Venezuela and Vietnam, as well as in the Caucasus republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Six countries in Asia are beginning the process of accepting Mir cards, being Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, while another three – Egypt, Iran and Mauritius – have announced plans to welcome MIR cards as well. A further six countries are also holding discussions concerning their use, and are believed to be the Maldives, Mali, Turkiye, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE and Uzbekistan.
MIR Card use is however not the only mechanism to allow Russian nationals to pay for goods overseas. Russia and several other countries, including Tajikistan and Turkiye have introduced a QR payment network which relies on mobile phone technology and the national telecommunications networks to operate.
Further Reading
Threat Of US Secondary Financial Sanctions Hits Personal MIR Card Use
