Georgia's Mikhail Saakashvili will be sworn in as president this weekend in ceremonies his people hope will mark an end to years of post-Soviet upheaval, but with the new leader warning the way ahead will not be easy.
Saakashvili, a US-trained lawyer elected by a landslide this month, will take the oath of office on Sunday - birthday of his former mentor Eduard Shevardnadze whom he toppled in a bloodless people's revolution in November.
While Saakashvili's huge popularity is not in doubt, analysts say he may be hard put to deliver on promises to fight crime and corruption in a country riven by separatist rivalries and economic turmoil.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Wednesday, Saakashvili warned world leaders that investment and aid were needed to cement democracy and prevent Georgia sliding into chaos.
"Georgia is a net contributor to European stability but could also become a major risk for instability, because the Caucasus has a much wider potential for conflict than the Balkans," he said.
Both Russia and the United States want to strengthen their influence in the fractious Black Sea state of 4.5 million people, which they see as a vital link between the Middle East and Europe.
Saakashvili, whose inauguration will be attended by US Secretary of State Colin Powell, has already forged close ties with the United States.
He said on Wednesday an oil pipeline passing through Georgia from Azerbaijan to Turkey's Mediterranean coast - a strategically important project for the United States - would start operating on schedule by April 2005.
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