Vice Chancellor and Economy and Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel | Adam Berry/Getty Images Sigmar Gabriel: Germany ready to support Serbia’s bid to join EU The German foreign minister had said that EU membership was only possible if Balkan countries eschew ‘division and stagnation.’

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Wednesday that Germany will "stand firmly alongside Serbia" in its efforts to join the European Union.

Gabriel made the announcement after meeting Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade. Without specifying when Serbia could join the bloc, Gabriel said the timeframe depends on the pace of its reforms and the normalization of its relations with Kosovo — which is Gabriel's next destination on his first official trip to the Balkans.

The foreign minister had announced before the trip that Balkan countries could join the EU only if they eschew “division and stagnation” and “choose reforms and progress.”

Vučić won Serbia's presidential election on April 2 with 55 percent of the vote. The result was hailed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Despite Vučić’s victory, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets since the election on April 2 claiming the vote was rigged. Gabriel said it was "good that peaceful protests against [a] democratically elected government can take place without state intervention."