The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Afghanistan and Russia are in talks over the possible acceptance of Russia’s Mir bank cards to facilitate financial transactions and strengthen economic ties, Taliban’s ambassador to Moscow told Russian media.
According to a report by Izvestia, Ambassador Gul Hassan
Hassan said Kabul wants to ensure that money transfers and purchases between
the two countries can be carried out without restrictions, which would help
expand trade and attract Russian tourists to Afghanistan.
The discussions come as Afghanistan seeks to break out of
international isolation following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Russia
officially recognized the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in July,
becoming the first country to do so, and both sides are now working to deepen
trade and investment cooperation.
Experts told Izvestia that while an agreement on Mir card
use is possible, technical and infrastructure challenges remain, including a
lack of card payment terminals in Afghanistan. They also noted that
international sanctions on the Taliban government could complicate financial
integration.
Georgy Ostapkovich, research director at the HSE Center for
Market Research, said the move would have little impact on Russia’s broader
financial system and is unlikely to trigger new Western sanctions.
Omar Nessar, a researcher at the Russian Academy of
Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies, said the plan may be largely symbolic
at first, given Afghanistan’s limited banking infrastructure and communication
challenges.
Trade between the two countries has been expanding, and both
sides are also considering settlements in their national currencies. Russian
firms, including Inteco Group, have already entered Afghanistan’s oil sector
under new agreements signed earlier this year.
