SUKHUMI, Abkhazia. Feb 2 (Interfax) - Abkhazia's president has rejected a proposal that the European Union special representative to the South Caucasus have an office set up in Abkhazia that would in effect be an outlet of the Tbilisi-based EU Delegation to Georgia.

"Abkhazia must not be seen through the prism of Georgian interests but must be considered one of the parties to the negotiation process. Any representative office that is set up on the territory of the republic must consider Abkhazia as an independent state," a statement from the Abkhaz president's office quoted Raul Khajimba as saying during a meeting in Sukhumi on Monday with EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Herbert Salber.

Salber asked whether he could have an office in Sukhumi in order to be able to maintain permanent contact with the EU Delegation in Tbilisi.

"Abkhazia," Khajimba replied, "is going to develop relations with the European Union without tying them down to Georgian interests."

"I realize that Russia is quite a complicated issue for the West today. But it is the main factor in our current formative period. We receive financial aid from Russia that we value highly