"Austria agrees with Malta on the need for an EU-wide policy on migration," the Austrian ambassador to Malta, Dr Elisabeth Kehrer, told The Sunday Times in an exclusive interview last week.

"In fact, Austria put migration back on the EU agenda during its presidency from January to June this year when we also achieved agreement on the need for joint maritime patrols and emergency assistance teams to countries receiving illegal immigrants.

"Austria has first-hand experience of migration issues; when the Iron Curtain was lifted in 1991, we were part of the outer border of Europe for 13 years. Some 100,000 Bosnian refugees flooded into the country, as well as many other East Europeans looking for work.

"We had to adapt our society to integrate them. We also had to cope with a huge rise in street crime and drug trafficking.

"I was not aware until I was posted to Malta in May last year how hard this kind of inflow hits such a small and densely populated country. Malta expects EU help with irregular immigrants. Rightly so, yet migration is not an EU issue - although the idea of a common European directive regulating migration and residency status was mooted some years ago. Austria would certainly support this. There should certainly be a single EU-wide refugee status."

Turning to the EU presidency, Dr Kehrer said: "Overall, I think the Austrian presidency was successful. After the upheaval of the two negative votes in France and the Netherlands on the constitution, Austria managed to get Union members back to work as a group of 25, and cope with the complications of enlargement for decision-making.

"Austria also found a kind of road map to handle the constitutional issue, was able to conclude work on the 40 legal texts for the new budget, and to find a compromise with the European Parliament."

The Austrian presidency Website, which received 34 million hits, reports the organisation of 513 formal meetings, 3,600 documents posted for public information, and 2,250 newsletters and news alerts issued to the media.

Looking back at her own activities as the Presidency representative in Malta, Dr Kehrer, Austria's first ambassador to Malta, admits this was a lot of work for herself and the one other diplomat at the embassy - with, in addition, dozens of official receptions to attend.

Apart from co-ordinating regular meetings between the locally-based EU ambassadors, occasionally joined by those who are accredited to Malta but based in Rome, Dr Kehrer was tasked by her government with 'sounding out' the Maltese government before every EU council or other key meetings about its attitude to possible compromises on difficult issues worked out by Austria.

She also led the regular meetings held between ministers and EU ambassadors before each ECOFIN and General Affairs and External Relations Councils

Dr Kehrer carried on the tradition of her predecessors by organising lunches for her colleagues addressed by Maltese speakers - who during her term of office were the Minister of Competitiveness and Communications, Censu Galea, the chairman of the National Euro Changeover Committee, Joseph F.X. Zahra, and two Maltese MEPs - Simon Busuttil and Joseph Muscat.

"The most time-consuming but rewarding activity was organising Europe Day on May 9, where I think we really succeeded in fulfilling one of Austria's headline goals of bringing Europe closer to its citizens," Dr Kehrer said.

"With the Ministry of Education, the Forum for Europe and the local European Parliament office we worked with 20 schools for a major children's discussion on Europe. There was also a flag-raising ceremony in front of the Palace and the very popular 'Café Europe' event on Queen's Square.

"I am really impressed at the sustained interest in the EU in Malta - no signs of the euro-fatigue we see in so many other member states."

A Doctor of Laws and one of Austria's ten women ambassadors out of total of 81, Dr Kehrer was Consul-General in Chicago prior to her Malta posting, and was previously Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Austrian mission at the UN in New York, and at its Embassy in Ireland.

"This is still a male-dominated profession," she admits, "and I continue to encounter some anti-woman prejudice at home and abroad... but things are moving. Austria's present foreign minister, and her predecessor, both women, have made a big difference in changing attitudes, and improving career prospects for women diplomats. So I am optimistic about my professional future."