Kremlin does not regard Armenian banks` refusal to service Russian  Mir cards as unfriendly step

ArmInfo.The Kremlin does not regard the refusal of Armenian banks to service Russian Mir cards as  an unfriendly step, but explains this decision by pressure from the United States, follows from a statement by spokesperson of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov.

"We have repeatedly said that many countries are facing unprecedented  pressure from the United States - the threat of secondary sanctions,  the threat of sanctions, etc. Of course, economic institutions,  companies, banks are taking measures to hedge risks," Peskov said,  quoted by Vedomosti.

The spokesperson explained that Russia will continue to work with  Armenia to correct the situation.  "We, together with our Armenian  friends, will continue to discuss and compensate for the harm that  this unprecedented American pressure is causing," Peskov added.

On the night of March 30, Armenian banks, which are members of the  national payment system Armenian Card (ArCa), stopped servicing  Russian Mir cards.

The National Payment Card System (NPCS), operator of Mir cards,  confirmed that it has received an official notification from the  payment system of Armenia that its member banks will stop servicing  Russian cards as of March 30, a NPCS representative told Vedomosti.  "Mir" cards have been working in Armenia since 2017 within the  framework of the joint project of the NPCS and the Armenian Card,  national cards were mutually accepted in the infrastructures of the  two countries: ArCa - in Russia, "Mir" - in Armenia.  Also, several  Armenian banks issued ArCa-Mir co-branded cards.

Payments with Russian cards are now available in Abkhazia, Belarus  and South Ossetia. In several other countries, Mir cards work  partially: they are Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.  Since 2023, Russian cards have also been accepted in Venezuela  (through the largest local acquiring bank Banco de Venezuela) and  Cuba. In mid-March, Kazakhstan's Bereke Bank announced the  termination of interaction with the Russian NPCS.