WARSAW, March 8 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for increased defense cooperation in Europe as part of NATO, while speaking in Warsaw on Friday during a meeting of the European People's Party (EPP).

"There is a need to increase defense cooperation in Europe, but this should not replace cooperation within NATO. We need both," Stoltenberg said during a session focused on defense during the meeting of the EEP Bureau in Warsaw on March 7-8.

Stoltenberg praised new EU initiatives to increase defense cooperation, such as the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defense Fund. But he also said European cooperation should happen as part of NATO and that Europeans should increase their contribution to the alliance.

Stoltenberg was joined by EPP head Manfred Weber and German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen during a session focused on defense as part of the EPP Bureau meeting in Warsaw.

The other priority theme of the EPP meeting is equalising living standards across the EU.