Myanmar’s Tourism Minister has announced the possibility of replacing Visa and Mastercard in the country with “Mir” cards

“I will make sure that the Mir card can be used here not only by Russians, but also by citizens of other countries,” the minister was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.

This interest in Mir is directly related to the problems with paying for visas: tourists from various countries have problems paying for their visas with Visa and Mastercard cards.

“So [при использовании карт “Мир” — прим. ред.] “They will also be able to obtain a visa to Myanmar,” Khaine explains. “Nominally, the Ministry of Immigration is responsible for this issue, but I will personally resolve with them the issue of opening correspondent accounts in banks that work with Mir cards and connecting them to their visa payment system.”

Myanmar announced its readiness to introduce Mir cards into circulation in January, and in February it was already planning to launch the service, but due to technical problems, the start of service of the Russian payment system took place only in July, but now you can pay there in restaurants and shopping centers.

The country’s Minister of Tourism also stated that during the year the flow of tourists from Russia to Myanmar increased by 57% and the introduction of the “Mundial” cards will contribute to an even greater increase in the indicators.

According to her, it also makes sense to move in the opposite direction: the Russian Federation can become a tourist magnet for Myanmar travellers, along with the United States and Europe.

In order to expand bilateral cooperation in the field of tourism, the minister asked to consider the issue of launching direct flights between the countries. He also invited domestic investors to open Russian restaurants in Myanmar.