The territory's public health officials have warned against opening up to tourism, and the arrival of tourists has coincided with a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Tbilisi’s handling of the Anaklia port project, especially soon after another noisy dispute with a foreign investor, is hurting its reputation and undermining Georgia’s security.
Migrants and diasporas from the two sides have brawled around the world in a social media-fueled interethnic clash larger than this conflict has previously seen.
The international response to the clashes – the worst since 2016 – has tended to treat both sides equally, while each side insists that the other is to blame.
A proposal from Washington to condition some aid on Georgia’s making more progress on democracy, corruption and protecting foreign investors has become a political football in Tbilisi.