Volker Perthes

The main task of the SWP is to advise the German parliament and the Federal Government of Germany on questions of foreign and security policy, based on the institute's practice-oriented research.

Based on his research, Perthes has published several non-fiction books as well as academic and policy papers on Syria, Lebanon, Iran, the European Union and the Palestinian Authority, including the wider Middle East.

In November 2015, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar Gabriel appointed Perthes to the government's advisory board on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

[6] Following the 2021 Sudan coup d'état, Perthes held mediation talks with generals Abdel Fattah al Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, as well as with Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdouk, who was under house arrest,[8] in order to "return to a comprehensive and urgent dialogue to restore partnership on the basis of the Constitutional Document and the Juba Peace Agreement.

In his report and analysis, he made the following remarks:[10] Sudan’s military and political leaders will primarily have to rebuild trust with their own domestic public, particularly with the young generation.

At the same time, he warned of the danger that the fighting in Sudan could escalate into a “full-scale civil war.” In his last briefing to the UN Security Council, Perthes said:[14] Often indiscriminate aerial bombing is conducted by those who have an air force, which is the SAF.