All Moldovan banks that provided access to the Russian money transfer system “Zolota Korona”, the only way to transfer money between Moldova and Russia, announced their termination of cooperating with it.
The BIRN portal reports about this, in the ” European Truth” reports.
Moldovan banks Comertbank, Fincombank, Eurocreditbank and Energbank did not explain the decision to terminate cooperation with “Zolota Korona”, which took effect on Friday, 6 September.
This step took place after the USA imposed sanctions against Russia, in particular, the “Centre for Financial Technologies”, which developed the “Golden Crown” system.
“These banks have assessed the risks and decided that it is time to act in this way, and not under the influence of the Moldovan government, which has always hesitated to introduce sanctions against Russia,” Vyacheslav Ionitsa, an economic expert at the Chisinau think tank IDIS Viitorul, told BIRN.
Ionica warned that this decision would create big problems for Moldovans in Russia who send money home. According to his estimates, about 70% of remittances sent home from Russia go through the banking system.
At the same time, Russian money still flows to Gagauzia, a pro-Russian region of Moldova, where cards of the Russian MIR payment system are illegally used. In addition, MIR cards are also used in unrecognized Transnistria.
Last month, it was reported that the Information and Security Service of Moldova obliged Internet providers to block the websites of the Russian “Promsvyazbank” – Gagauz pensioners and state employees receive a monthly allowance of 2,000 lei (a little more than 100 euros) for accounts opened in the bank.
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