On July 9, Alexander Basaria, Director of the Abkhazian Film Foundation, denied claims that he called Russian tourists a "threat," blaming Georgian and Ukrainian media for misrepresenting his remarks, and apologized for causing offense while highlighting political motives behind the controversy.

Alexander Basaria stated that Georgian and Ukrainian media had deliberately misrepresented his remarks about Russian tourists in an attempt to sow discord between [the separatist] Abkhazia and Russia.

Basaria addressed the controversy triggered by alleged comments attributed to him in which he reportedly described Russian tourists as a "threat to national security." Denying these claims, he asserted that his words had been taken out of context and distorted, explaining that his criticism targeted a specific Russian tour operator accused of destabilizing the local tourism market through unfair pricing practices. He remarked, "I am saying that there is one tour operator that is undesirable and has caused us great harm, and because of this dumping, all this fuss started. The entire population became indignant; all entrepreneurs became indignant, asking, ‘What is this dumping? Why are you doing this?’"

Emphasizing that there were no issues with other Russian tour operators, Basaria underscored the close ties built between Russian and Abkhazian societies over the past three decades, declaring, "There have never been any problems, and there cannot be any. All the problems are being stirred up by the Georgian and Ukrainian media." He dismissed the controversy as "complete nonsense" and noted that a video clarifying his stance and highlighting preparations for the tourist season—including new amenities like card payments and mobile applications—was available on his social media page.

Responding ironically to a viral social media trend mocking the prevalence of instant noodles in Abkhazia, Basaria remarked, "We have enough doshirak in Abkhazia. Would you like us to deliver it? What’s wrong with that? It’s a service."

Contradictory claims surfaced in other media outlets, including Zhivaya Kuban, which quoted Basaria as calling Russian tourists a "threat to national and economic security" for vacationing in isolation and avoiding local entertainment venues. In the same alleged comments, he reportedly urged the Abkhaz tourism sector to avoid partnerships with Russian tour operators accused of dumping.

Commenting on the matter, Konstantin Zatulin, a member of the Russian State Duma, linked the controversy to domestic Abkhazian politics. Zatulin stated that the Abkhaz opposition, reportedly supported by Basaria, had lost the presidential election and was now exploiting relations with Russia for political leverage. "I believe that the opposition's downfall is due to the fact that, in its desire to oppose the authorities, it crossed the line and decided to use relations with Russia as a pretext for internal political wrangling," Zatulin emphasized.

Amid the uproar, Basaria issued a public apology via a video posted on his social media, expressing regret for offending Russian tourists and others. "Dear friends, I sincerely regret that my ill-considered comments have offended a large number of people. I fully understand the feelings of those who were offended by my inappropriate words… Dear compatriots, dear guests of Abkhazia, I apologize to all of you. I deeply regret my thoughtless actions. I apologize," he stated.