NOVO-OGARYOVO, March 27 (RAPSI) – A national payment system will be established in Russia, President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with members of the Federation Council Thursday.

Such schemes have been successfully carried out in China and Japan. Though they initially launched as national projects, the Japanese system is presently operating in 200 countries, the president said.

He added that while the government and Russia's Central Bank are actively working on the project, this work will take time.

Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko said that it will be necessary to accelerate the adoption of a bill imposing a ban on the placement of the payment systems' operation centers outside of Russian territory. The bill has been already submitted to the State Duma.

Chairwoman of Russia's central bank Elvira Nabiullina said earlier on Thursday that Russia must move forward with the establishment of its national payment system to provide for secure payments.

She added, however, this should not be interpreted as a rejection of international payment systems Visa and MasterCard.

The US earlier announced asset freezes and travel bans targeting a number of Russian officials close to President Vladimir Putin, following Crimea's referendum.

Last week, Visa and MasterCard payment systems blocked operations with SMP Bank, which is owned by Russian businessmen Arkady and Boris Rotenbergs, who were added to a list of targeted economic sanctions by the United States.

The new sanctions were imposed in response to a vote held in Russia's parliament ratifying the reunification of Crimea with Russia after 60 years as part of Ukraine.
Along with Rotenberg brothers, who are presumed to have close ties with Vladimir Putin, the sanctions were imposed against Andrei Fursenko, presidential aide; Sergei Ivanov, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office; Sergei Mironov, Duma lawmaker and leader of A Just Russia party; Sergey Naryshkin, Speaker of the Russian State Duma; and businessman Gennady Timchenko.