Ethiopia Could Soon Join Russian Mir Payment System, Ambassador Suggests

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ethiopia is interested in various mechanisms of trade with Russia, including the introduction of Russian Mir payment cards, Ethiopian Ambassador to Russia Alemayehu Tegenu Aargau told Sputnik.

"We can use any mechanisms to trade with Russia," the ambassador said, asked about the prospects for introducing Mir payment system cards in the country.

In June, Alemayehu Tegenu Aargau told Sputnik that Ethiopia could join Russia’s new independent international payment system if countries like China and Turkey join in.

The Bank of Russia developed its own payment system called Mir in 2015, amid Western sanctions pressure. This year, Russia has already negotiated acceptance of its Mir cards in several countries, including Turkey, Vietnam, Armenia, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Last month, Iranian authorities said that payments made with Russia's Mir bank cards were about to get accepted in Iran. Also in August, media reported that India and Russia were discussing the possibility of mutual acceptance of the national RuPay and Mir payment systems.