New York  - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday North Korea's plan to launch a communication satellite would raise tensions with its neighbours.

The plan is "a source of great concern for me," said Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister involved in talks for reunification with North Korea.

Ban called for talks to resolve the issues between North and South Korea.

Pyongyang announced the intention to launch the satellite in early April. But South Korea suspects that the launch could be a cover for a test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. dpa