North Korea is on relatively friendly terms with India, with both states maintaining embassies in their respective capital cities.
While India is a critic of North Korea’s aim of becoming a nuclear power, the country still exports tens of millions of pounds worth of goods to the hermit state every year.
And a BBC survey in 2014 revealed almost one-quarter of all Indians believe North Korea is having a positive impact on the world.
In recent months the US has been pushing for India to cut ties with North Korea, a request which was slapped down today.
India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said India only conducted “minimal” trade with North Korea and its embassy staff had already been pared down in recent years.
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And in April, in line with UN sanctions due to North Korea’s nuclear tests, India banned almost all trade with the rogue state.
But today India refused to shut downits embassy, which is located in Pyongyang, a move which angered the US.
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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said this showed India was not serious about alienating putting pressure on North Korea to end its reckless nuclear war programme.
He said: “I think they just indicated they think that office has a value as a conduit for communications.”
Mr Tillerson said he was working towards better relations with India in spite of this issue.
He said: “The US has had positive relations with India for 70 years but it is never quite moved to that next level, and I think that is in part due to actions on both sides.
“I had a very comprehensive discussion on economic and security links with Prime Minister Modi, National Security Advisor Doval, and Foreign Affairs Minister Swaraj.
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“It is essential that our two democracies work together to address the challenges facing our people.”
It comes after Russia put Western powers on alert with a series of missile tests – four of which were launched by Vladimir Putin himself.
Amid an ever-tightening spiral of threat and counter-threat on the Korean peninsula, Russia’s war games are being seen as a deliberately provocative show of force to Washington.