China, the North's powerful neighbour, has also contributed to the six-party talks; it was an area in which Beijing could really assist Washington. For the Americans any quick agreement that would on the surface remove North Korea's nuclear capacity would be welcome, especially now.

To complete this deal, the US had to bypass its usually thick layer of bureaucrats who are no friends of North Korea. It's no wonder then that conservatives have criticised the deal and said it will collapse even before it is implemented. It was historic then that North Korea agreed to eventually end its nuclear-weapons programme after years and years of countries trying to get it to do just that. It would be a leap of faith to believe that every step of the agreement will be implemented.

Four months ago, Pyongyang's test of a nuclear bomb sent shock waves throughout the region. It was North Korea's attempt to gain attention from the world community, especially China, Japan and South Korea, and it worked. Under the latest deal, the North will receive 50,000 tonnes of oil for shutting down and sealing its nuclear reactor and related facilities at Yongbyon within two months. The International Atomic Agency will be called in to confirm this. If all goes well, after all nuclear programmes are shut down, an additional 950,000 tonnes of oil will be shipped to North Korea, which has a shortage of fuel.

Obviously this is good news for Asian countries. A nuclear North Korea would be a highly dangerous presence in the region. It could push other countries, such as Japan, to go nuclear in the interests of self-defence. The resumption of the six-party talks, which had been delayed, will also create a positive atmosphere for July's Asean Regional Forum in Manila. Since Pyongyang joined the ARF, its annual participation has become problematic because it does not trust any other member, despite the fact that the ARF is the best venue in which to address nuclear issues in Asia, as the world's major nuclear powers are members, including the US, China, Russia, India and Pakistan.

However, this latest agreement will create an atmosphere conducive to further confidence-building measures on the Korean Peninsula, though for some countries more needs to be done before normalisation of relations can take place.

Japan has insisted that Pyongyang resolve the long-standing issue of a Japanese citizen kidnapped by North Korean agents in the 1970s.

One hopes that there will be progress on this front. Otherwise it will be difficult for Japan under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to mend fences with the North as he has cited progress in the kidnapping case as the main prerequisite for such a move.

For Thailand, a clear answer from Pyongyang regarding the alleged kidnapping of Anocha Panjoy, a young Thai woman believed to have been kidnapped by Pyongyang's secret agents in Macau in 1979, would be welcome. When the story surfaced last November, former foreign minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon repeatedly took the issue up at North Korea's highest levels, but without any positive results. The current government should follow up on the case.

A non-nuclear North Korea will reduce the nuclear arms race. Of late, Burma, and many other countries with nuclear aspirations have followed in North Korea's footsteps, because this has brought them international attention and, ironically, aid. The agreement sends the right signal to them that abiding by international norms and values will better ensure their own survival and wellbeing.