Promised payments: Mir cards may be accepted in Angola
Angola may be included in the list of countries using payments through the Mir payment system. The proposal was sent to the National Bank of Angola, and now this issue is already being discussed, the country's ambassador to the Russian Federation told Izvestia. Experts note that for Russia, expanding the acceptance of Mir cards and making interbank payments through this system in Africa and the Global South as a whole will reduce dependence on Western financial infrastructure and strengthen settlements with friendly jurisdictions. But so far, its implementation has been complicated by American sanctions. In addition to Russia, the system operates in 13 countries, but in many it operates with restrictions.
Mir maps may appear in Angola
The National Bank of Angola has received an offer from Sberbank to conduct settlements using the Mir payment system, the country's ambassador to the Russian Federation, Augusto da Silva Cunha, told Izvestia.
"It was about establishing cooperation to carry out direct transactions from bank to bank, taking into account the number of Angolans who live in Russia," he said.
Izvestia sent a clarifying request to the press service of Sberbank.
At the same time, the negotiations were complicated from the very beginning by the sanctions factor. The United States imposed restrictions on Sberbank back in April 2022, and in February 2024, the National Payment Card System (NSPK), the operator of Mira, also fell under them.
The US Treasury Department stressed at the time that the sanctions were aimed at Russia's "key financial infrastructure," and foreign financial institutions that would enter into new or expand existing agreements with the NSPK could face the risk of secondary restrictions. Nevertheless, preparations for negotiations with Angola have begun.
According to Augusto da Silva Cunha, the parties exchanged notes, and the next step should be a response from the Angolan financial structures. After that, the parties will begin discussing the specific parameters of possible cooperation.
— At the moment, this issue is still on the agenda. All that remains now is to agree on a date so that both sides can meet and talk about more practical steps," the ambassador stressed.
Of course, compared to some other African destinations like South Africa or Tanzania, the tourist flow from Russia to Angola is small. But there are prospects for its increase: on September 29, 2023, the country introduced a visa-free regime with the Russian Federation. Direct flights could also increase interest in this exotic country. At the end of 2025, Augusto da Silva Cunha announced that the issue of resuming flights between Russia and Angola could be considered at the next session of the intergovernmental commission.
Views of Angola
The expansion of the acceptance of Mir cards in Africa and the Global South is of strategic importance for Russia, Sergei Tolkachev, professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, said in a conversation with Izvestia.
— Firstly, it allows reducing dependence on Western payment systems, which have demonstrated vulnerability to political pressure. Secondly, the development of such infrastructure creates more favorable conditions for the growth of trade, tourist flows and investments between Russia and these regions," the expert noted.
In addition, Africa and other countries in the Global South represent fast-growing markets with increasing populations and expanding access to financial services. In this sense, we are talking not only about current calculations, but also about a broader process — the formation of an alternative financial architecture less dependent on Western influence.
Geography of receiving Mir cards
The geography of Mir's work abroad is now seriously limited. According to the latest assessment, which was voiced by the head of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, the system operates in 13 countries outside of Russia. However, in many of them, card acceptance is carried out on a point-by-point basis, for example, at the level of individual banks, that is, not throughout the country.
The sanctions have significantly complicated the further expansion of the system, noted economist Alexander Kudryashov. After restrictions against the NSPK, connection in each new country requires a separate decision from the local bank, which has to take into account the possible consequences for its own international settlements. That is why the expansion is proceeding selectively and noticeably slower than previously expected.
According to reports, with notable restrictions, Mir cards are accepted in Armenia, Venezuela, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Laos, Moldova, Myanmar and Tajikistan. In some jurisdictions, the system is more stable, but in general, its functioning abroad still depends on the decisions of individual banks and the local financial infrastructure. Without restrictions, "Peace" is accepted in Abkhazia, Belarus, Cuba, as well as in South Ossetia.
The last notable expansion of the network was Nicaragua. At the end of 2024, cash withdrawals using Mir cards started there, but at the first stage it was only about one ATM.
However, there were also reverse examples. In September 2022, Turkish credit institutions began to abandon Mir after increasing pressure from the United States, and later the country's state-owned banks suspended work with the system. In March 2024, most Armenian banks also stopped servicing Mir cards, retaining only some exceptions.
"This situation is a clear demonstration of external control mechanisms that are deeply integrated into the global payment architecture built around Visa and Mastercard," said Nadezhda Kapustina, professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
According to her, Moscow's ultimate goal is to form a sovereign financial infrastructure capable of operating regardless of decisions taken in Washington or Brussels. That is why each new area where the acceptance of Mir cards or integration with the Russian payment system is discussed has not only applied, but also political and economic significance for Russia.
Several more States are at the initial stage of connection or have announced plans to launch the Mir system. Open sources include Egypt, Mauritius, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Separately, the issue of a possible expansion of card acceptance in India was discussed with the Russian side.
If Angola manages to move from exchanging notes to practical arrangements, this will be one of the few external successes for the Mir payment system in recent years. In an environment where any such expansion is based not only on technology, but also on sanctions risks, the very fact of continuing negotiations can already be considered an important signal for the Russian side.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
