"The talks went well," North Korean envoy Kim Kye-Gwan said on returning to Pyongyang, according to Japan's Kyodo News agency.

"We are ready to implement the results of the meeting," Kim was quoted as telling the Russian ambassador and a senior Chinese envoy at the airport.

China and Russia are two participants in the talks that reached the breakthrough agreement, along with Japan, South Korea and the United States.

Under the deal, North Korea would have 60 days to shut down its main Yongbyon nuclear reactor and allow United Nations nuclear inspectors back into the country.

The energy-starved regime would in turn receive a first tranche of 50,000 tonnes of fuel oil -- part of an eventual one million tonnes if it permanently disables its key nuclear facilities.

The comments came as a senior North Korean official said the communist country remained on alert against the United States which continued to try to "strangle" its economy and "tarnish" its reputation.

"The situation still remains tense and acute on the Korean Peninsula due to the US invariable hostile policy towards the DPRK," said Choe Thae-bok, speaker of the North's parliament, referring to North Korea by its official name.

"The US is going reckless in its moves to tarnish the authority and prestige of the DPRK and strangle it economically by mobilizing its allies including Japan. These moves of the US are accompanied by its escalated appeasement, pressure and sanctions.

"The DPRK is, therefore, closely following these moves with a high degree of vigilance," he said in a report to the parliament.

The report was carried by official North Korean media, the Korean Central News Agency, which regularly issues such anti-US commentary.

Just hours after Tuesday's deal was announced in Beijing, official North media raised questions about its commitment by saying the deal required only the "temporary suspension" of its nuclear sites.

China, North Korea's main ally and host of the six-way talks, called Thursday for all sides to begin work immediately on implementing the deal.

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