Cuba and Venezuela Advocate Accelerating Procedures for the use of Russian Bank Cards

The authorities expect the Russian MIR payment system to start operating in Cuba before the end of the year. (14ymedio)

14ymedio biggerEFE (via 14ymedio), Moscow, 16 June 2022 — This Thursday in St. Petersburg, leaders of the central banks of Cuba and Venezuela advocated the acceleration of procedures for the use of Russian MIR bank cards in their countries, after the American Visa and MasterCard suspended their operations in Russia and thus prevented Russians from paying with their cards abroad.

“We are working now for the acceptance of MIR cards in our country,” said Alberto Quiñones, general director of Systems, Technologies and Development of the Central Bank of Cuba during the Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg.

Quiñones, who attended the debate “New forms of international cooperation; What will the payment be like,” trusted that in the coming weeks the necessary steps will be taken so that the MIR payment system begins to function in Cuba before the end of the year.

MIR cards are currently accepted in Turkey, Vietnam and six former Soviet republics.

Calixto José Ortega Sánchez, president of the Central Bank of Venezuela, also spoke in favor of the acceptance of the Russian payment system in that Latin American country, along with the systems of other countries, such as Turkey.

“We can no longer delay it any longer,” said Ortega, who added that otherwise the Western “monopoly” will win, which could be used as a “weapon” when the time comes.

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