Tehran  - Tehran Monday distanced itself from Pyongyang's rocket launch, urging countries in that "sensitive region" to stay calm and apply their efforts to securing peace and stability.

North Korea launched a rocket on Sunday, in defiance of warnings from the US and its Asian neighbours, saying it was putting a communications satellite called Kwangmyongsong-2 into orbit.

Japan, South Korea and Washington believe the launch was a screen to test a ballistic missile.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi stressed the lack of any links between Tehran's and Pyongyang's missile programmes.

"We believe all countries in the sensitive region of East Asia must maintain their efforts to help securing peace and stability there," he told a news confernce.

"Especially the current global economic crisis requires that differences in that sensitive region turn into peace and friendship."

Tehran insists the nature of its missile programme is completely peaceful and for scientific purposes. "Our missile programme is quite separate and independent from North Korea's programmes ... There is no link between these two programmes," Qashqavi insisted. (dpa)