India, April 18 -- Australia perceives India as a "top-tier security partner" and is giving priority to practical and tangible cooperation between the two sides that contributes to Indo-Pacific stability, according to the maiden national defence strategy released by Canberra.

The document, issued by the Anthony Albanese government on Wednesday, states that Australia will support India's key role in the region by enhancing defence cooperation. Australia will also seek opportunities with India to drive bilateral and multilateral cooperation, defence industry cooperation and information-sharing.

The national defence strategy aims to bolster the Australian Defence Force (ADF)'s deterrence and warfighting capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, in...