Russia, China working on improving payment systems for tourists - Putin

VLADIVOSTOK. Sept 5 (Interfax) - Russia and China are working on improving payment systems so that tourists face fewer difficulties during trips, President Vladimir Putin said during the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum.

"As for tourist trips, the payment system requires additional improvement. We are working on it, working intensively, financial institutions are involved and at the highest level, and on a commercial basis. I don't want to comment too much right now, because I don't want my comments to create any difficulties for future decisions. This is also related to the need to take into account the interests of financial institutions that are under certain sanctions pressure. But solutions, of course, exist. We perfectly understand that we must achieve a situation where citizens traveling for tourism face fewer difficulties," Putin said.

"There are, of course, opportunities to use our Mir card, that goes without saying, as well as Chinese tools of a similar kind; they can be integrated, or one can use cards of third countries. I assure you, the central banks on both sides are working on this. But just recently, at a working meeting during our delegation's visit to China, the heads of financial institutions discussed all these issues among themselves, in my presence and in the presence of Chairman Xi Jinping. They are in dialogue, in discussions with each other, and I am confident solutions will be found," he said.

On September 2, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that starting September 15, China will introduce a visa-free regime of up to 30 days for Russian citizens. Putin said that Russia will reciprocate this gesture.

Previously, VTB head Andrei Kostin said that work is underway to allow Russian citizens to pay in China using QR codes and Mir cards. At the end of April, Kostin said that discussions were ongoing about the possible return of the UnionPay payment system to servicing Russian clients.