YALTA, Ukraine, July 20 (Reuters) - Four former Soviet republics vowed on Saturday to fight terrorism, organised crime and create a free trade zone, in a largely symbolic agreement aimed at underlining their independence from Russia. The presidents of Ukraine, Moldova and the Caucasus states of Georgia and Azerbaijan signed a raft of agreements in the Crimean resort of Yalta, including steps to boost trade in the impoverished region.
Those four nations plus Uzbekistan make up the regional group GUUAM, made up of the first letters in their names and created after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 to challenge trade groupings led by their former imperial master, Russia.
But missing from the summit was Uzbek President Islam Karimov, who has suspended his country's active participation in the group. The Central Asian state was represented by its ambassador to Ukraine, however. "Today we have made a serious step, and I have no doubts at all that the free trade zone will work. Ukraine needs this, and I am sure that other countries need it too," Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma told a news conference.
"I am sure that without a free trade zone there is no way of developing our countries. This way of creating the conditions for the free movement of capital and goods is going on across the globe."
The presidents said they would also "develop and strengthen security measures and boost the effectiveness of transport corridors between the countries."
Participants agreed their most important goal was the smooth transport of Caspian oil to Europe through Georgia, the Black Sea and Ukraine, which has long lobbied to become the most important transit country for energy supplies from the former Soviet Union.
The countries also agreed to tighten their borders against organised crime and the threat of extremist violence after the September 11 attacks.
"On the way to achieving our goals we will encounter many threats...aggressive separatists, terrorism, religious and national extremism," Azeri President Haydar Aliyev said.
GUUAM was formed in 1997 as a regional group of countries with similar political and economic interests.
Analysts said at the time it could challenge the Commonwealth of Independent States -- a loose grouping of 12 ex-Soviet countries led by Russia -- but it has instead become just one of many trade groups in the CIS.