The German Bundestag ratified on Thursday by majority vote the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Serbia and the European Union (EU).

Save for MPs of the opposition Left Party, all parties represented in the Bundestag voted in favour of the law on SAA ratification.

German Minister of State in the Federal Foreign Office Werner Hoyer assessed that Serbia is on the right track and saluted the political activities of Serbian President Boris Tadic, pointing out the courage Tadic has demonstrated on Serbia's EU path so far.

Borders have definitely been drawn in the Balkans, Hoyer said speaking about Serbia's place in the EU, the country's cooperation with its neighbours and expectations that Belgrade will soon launch a dialogue with Kosovo.

The German minister also stated that Serbia should not block Kosovo's European perspectives, while Uta Zapf of the opposition Social Democratic Party underscored that the SAA ratification will bring Serbia one step closer to the EU.

The German Bundestag called on the countries that have not yet ratified the SAA between Serbia and the EU to vote in favour of the SAA and make Serbia's EU path easier.

The discussion on the SAA ratification was marked by the dominant stand of German MPs that Serbia belongs in the EU and that the country will need to carry out numerous reforms on its EU path. According to Bundestag MPs, some of the tasks Serbia is yet to tackle refer to the reconciliation in the region, good neighbourly relations and cooperation, cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia and the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

Germany is the 13th country to give the green light to the ratification of the SAA with Serbia, which has already been ratified by the European Parliament. To enter into force, the SAA will need to be ratified by all 27 EU member countries.

According to certain German politicians, the credits for the positive outcome of the Bundestag voting on the SAA ratification should go primarily to Serbia because of the country's resolve to carry out necessary reforms.