Restaurant in Margarita Island displaying its menu translated into Russian. Photo: Nilole Kolster/BBC/File photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Margarita Island has begun accepting payments through MIR cards, the payment system developed in Russia, while in Caracas, these cards are undergoing tests, said the Russian ambassador to Venezuela, Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, on Monday.
The director of the Latin American Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Schetinin, said that technical issues are being resolved with several countries in the region. Schetinin said that an agreement had been reached with Cuba.
“The start of [MIR card] payments has already begun on Margarita Island, which is ready to host and is accommodating Russian tourists,” the ambassador said. “This is actually in a test mode in Caracas already.”
MIR is a payment system devised in 2014 by Russia, when the Eurasian country first faced a wave of illegal sanctions in connection with the incorporation into Russia of Crimea, following a referendum on the issue.
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After US companies Visa and MasterCard restricted operations with Russian banks at the time, The administration of President Vladimir Putin commissioned the development of the National Payment Card System, which became the MIR. According to Wikipedia, the MIR card is currently accepted in Belarus, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Cuba, and Venezuela. In addition, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, and Mongolia have announced joint projects with Russia in this regard.
Since the relaxation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the strengthening of Western illegal sanctions against Russia and Venezuela, both countries have launched initiatives to promote air connection and tourist exchange. Margarita Island has become one of the favorite destinations for a new wave of Russian tourists choosing Venezuela as their vacation destination.
Orinoco Tribune Special by staff
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