National Bank: commercial banks, card processing systems not cooperating with Russian payment system Mir

Commercial banks and card processing systems operating in Georgia are not in cooperation with the Russian payment system Mir, the National Bank of Georgia said on Wednesday.

Operations in the Mir platform do not concern the Georgian financial system, the central bank said, adding the payment system of Mir cooperated with the de-facto authorities in Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia, which may violate the Georgian Law on the Occupied Territories.

The National Bank of Georgia has always operated and continues to operate in full compliance with the standards set by international resolutions, the National Bank’s statement says.

Georgian Airways were earlier reported to have used the Mir paying system, which was designed to avoid international sanctions imposed on Russia following the Kremlin’s invasion in Ukraine last month.

In its response, the airline said it had an agreement with the Spanish company WebSky.tech, which operates an international ticketing system and uses the Mir platform in addition to other technical means. However, the airline added its system was connected with Bank of Georgia, adding it was “impossible” for its customers to buy tickets through the Mir payment system.