16:25 - 19.09.2025

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September 19, Fineko/abc.az. The use of Russian payment cards Mir and payment by QR codes will be allowed again in Armenia, ABC.AZ reports, quoting Armenian Tourism Committee’s head Lusine Gevorgyan, as saying this at the press conference.

"Currently, our banking system is adapting to the Russian payment system, Mir cards and the ability to pay using a QR code," she said.

According to Gevorgyan, nearly 2 million tourists have visited Armenia since the beginning of 2025, of which one third are Russian citizens.

After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Mir cards in Armenia continued to work. However, since the spring of 2024, most of the country's banks have stopped accepting them due to the risk of secondary sanctions.

Since then, it has only been possible to withdraw cash from Russian payment system cards via VTB cash machines. Now the Armenian government is trying to restore these payment methods for the convenience of tourists.