BRUSSELS, November 16 (RIA Novosti) - The first meeting of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum will take place on November 16-17 in Brussels, a spokesman for the European Commission said.

About 240 public organizations, trade unions and noncommercial foundations from six Eastern Partnership member states will take part in the conference, jointly organized by Sweden, which holds the EU rotating chair, the European Commission and The European Economic and Social Committee, the spokesman said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner and President of the European Economic and Social Committee Mario Sepi will attend the meeting, the spokesman added.

The Eastern Partnership program, adopted by 27 EU countries in 2008, includes Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova and Georgia and aims to bring these countries in line with EU standards without formal admission to the EU.