The UN Development Programme and Serbia have launched two projects aimed at encouraging inter-ethnic dialogue in the south of the country, a region with a strong ethnic Albanian community, Beta news agency said Tuesday. 'The projects are worth 7.92 million dollars (5.5 million euros) and they will be launched in 13 municipalities,' said Serbian Local Administration Minister Milan Markovic. The southern Serbian region, bordering now independent Kosovo, is one of the poorest in the Balkan republic. The main town in the area, Bujanovac, and the neighbouring municipalities of Medvedja and Presevo were the scene of clashes in 2001 between Serbian security forces and ethnic Albanians, who want to link up with Kosovo. Ethnic Albanian insurgents in southern Serbia were disarmed after the 1998-99 conflict in Kosovo in accordance with an internationally brokered peace agreement. Kosovo formally split from Serbia in February last year. Its independence is recognised by 62 countries but rejected by Belgrade. 