DR Congo 'Curious' About Trying Russian Alternative to Mastercard, Says Minister

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is considering using the Mir card payment system, Russia's equivalent to Visa and MasterCard, to solve the issue, said Muhindo Nzangi Butondo, Minister of Higher and University Education of the DRC, in an interview with Sputnik.

The high-ranking official stated that the Congolese government is aware of the problem that Congolese students are up against in receiving their higher education in the Russian Federation, and is "curious to try" the new payment system initiated by Russia.

"We are curious to be able to try the new payment system that is initiated by Russia, which would act as an equivalent to MasterCard. And so we will continue to find out for ourselves, and we will be able at some point to tell our students they would be able to use it," Butondo said.

The official added that the DRC is also interested in promoting Russian language learning among Congolese youth, as exchanges between the two countries are expected to intensify in the coming years.

Butondo noted that he had recently met with the Russian ambassador to the DR Congo and a delegation of Russian academics from Voronezh State Pedagogical University to discuss the creation of a Russian Language Learning Center in the African country.

The minister believes that learning Russian would be beneficial for Congolese students to actively meet their educational needs and requirements, or to interpret for Russian investors who are interested in the DRC.

"Learning the Russian language represents a great opportunity not only for Congolese youth who are very motivated to continue their studies in Russia, but also for the country to receive development opportunities from Russia, which is of major interest today for Africa and for the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular," Butondo argued.

He pointed out that the areas of cooperation between Congolese and Russian universities mainly focus on civil engineering, peace, security, criminology, computer engineering, cybercrime, and cybersecurity. The DRC has developed partnerships in these areas and is aligning itself with Russia's methods in education and training, he added.

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The Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), which has trained thousands of African students, recently restored its initial name in honor of Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Minister Butondo commented on what this means for the country, saying that the name of Patrice Emery Lumumba is highly valued in Russia and is a symbol that cements the friendship between Russia and Africans, particularly the Congolese.

Founded in 1960 during the time of the Soviet Union, Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia was given the Congolese leader's name to commemorate the pivotal role he played in the fight against colonialism on the African continent.

"For us, it is a reason of cultural pride to see that the Russians several thousand kilometers away from the DRC value the heroic fight that was led by Patrice Emery Lumumba against colonization in Africa," the education minister noted.

Acknowledging the crucial role that education can play in fostering friendship and cooperation between nations, Butondo said that his ministry has been mandated by the Congolese government with preparing points for scientific and research teamwork, along with cooperation in the area of higher education, to be discussed with the Russian government on the sidelines of the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit, which will take place in three months.

He explained that both nations share certain values and a similar development model, and the DRC wants to take advantage of sharing experience and knowledge in order to copy some of Russia’s development models, enabling the African country to follow this track.

The DRC is among nations that are actively seeking to enhance their cooperation with Russia and promote their development using Russia's successful models, the minister concluded.