With the announcement of a meeting between the US president Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, it seems that demagoguery is giving way to rationalism. The development indeed is a pleasant surprise.

Considering the strained relations between Washington and Pyongyang, the shift from the rhetoric of bombing each other to hold dialogues is remarkable. The credit goes to the National Security Advisor of South Korea, Chung Eui-yong, who met Kim recently and then standing in front of the White House announced that by the end of May a meeting would take place between the heads of the two countries.

The meeting will be for sure a historic meeting, if it takes place, for it would be the first ever between leaders of the two countries. Despite the negative portrayal of Kim in the mainstream media, the US was surprised at how “forward-leaning” he was in his conversations with a visiting South Korean delegation, as attested by the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.

Now that North Korea has shown willingness to consider the option of denuclearization, the ball is in the US court. Washington should not waste this golden opportunity. The policy makers and advisors in White House should formulate such an agreement that can be seen as a win-win situation for both sides.

The meeting, if it goes successfully, will be step forward in ushering in a new era of cooperation not only between Washington and Pyongyang, it will also help in bringing down the regional rifts and tensions. The possible upcoming meeting may pave the way for meaningful negotiations between the two sides. However, in the past, the deals failed to materialise mainly because of mutual distrust. Therefore, over-optimism is also not good. The path of cooperation between the US and North Korea is a long and complicated one. While scepticism is a good thing, however, the chance for enhancing bilateral ties should be availed to its maximum.