Uzbekistan's Central Bank and Tencent discuss integrating WeChat Pay with local payment services

TASHKENT. April 24 (Interfax) - The management of Uzbekistan's Central Bank and representatives of Tencent (SPB: 700) Cloud International, part of Chinese Tencent Holdings Ltd, have discussed partnerships in digital technologies and cloud infrastructure within the republic, the bank's press service reported.

The parties discussed prospects for integrating Tencent's WeChat Pay digital payment system with Uzbekistan's local payment systems, enabling payments via QR codes and expanding cooperation in this area, the bank said.

The parties expressed support for initiatives in the field of payment systems and agreed on joint steps to be made in the future.

Deputy Director of the Payment Systems Department of the Central Bank Miraziz Mirkhayotov told journalists that Chinese mobile payment services WeChat and Alipay, run by Alibaba Group subsidiary Ant Group, could be integrated with Uzbekistan's national payment systems.

He said that on completion of the first stage of joint work, foreign tourists would be able to make payments in Uzbekistan. The second stage will similarly enable residents of Uzbekistan to use the republic's payment systems Uzcard and Humo to make payments in China.