PHNOM PENH -- ASEAN and Russia on Wednesday highly evaluated the steady progress in their cooperation in trade and investment, countering terrorism and transnational crime, science and technology, and tourism, said a joint statement issued after the ASEAN-Russia Post Ministerial Conference.

The meeting, held at Phnom Penh's Peace Palace, was co-chaired by Myanmar's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Vladimirrovich Morgulov. All ASEAN foreign ministers attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the ASEAN ministers expressed their appreciation of Russian government's decision to allocate 1.5 million U.S. dollars annually to the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership Financial Fund (DPFF), an indication of Russia's firm commitment to further enhance dialogue partnership with ASEAN.

The ASEAN ministers urged Russia to support the implementation of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration Work Plan II and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC).

The meeting called for the finalization of the new Plan of Action of the ASEAN-Russia Working Group on Science and Technology (2012-2015) to enhance and promote the cooperation between ASEAN and Russia in the field of science and technology.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.