Kyrgyzstan stops servicing Russian Mir cards on April 5

BISHKEK. April 2 (Interfax) - Kyrgyzstan will stop servicing Russian Mir bank cards on April 5, the Interbank Processing Center said on Tuesday.

"The division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury responsible for control over foreign assets has imposed sanctions on JSC National Payment Card System, the Mir payment system operator. In order to minimize the risk of secondary sanctions, CJSC Interbank Processing Center, as a guarantor of the uninterrupted operation of the Elcart national payment system, announces that it will stop servicing Mir bank cards in its infrastructure from April 5," the operator said in a statement.

In turn, Elcart cards will stop working in Russia.

The Interbank Processing Center reported taking comprehensive measures towards the smooth operation and security of the national payment system.

"In Kyrgyzstan, Elcart bank cards will continue to be serviced on all banking devices without any restrictions," the statement said.