months of waiting, we look to be in the final stages of government reshuffle. Around the world that is a time when the political system takes a deep breath, scans the horizon and looks at what needs doing

The arrival of a new set of ministers in Iraqi Kurdistan gives civil servants the opportunity to come up with some new plans, changes of direction, new initiatives. New ministers will want to set out their new messages; a clear sense of strategic direction.

Any responsible government faces similar challenges: ensuring the security of its citizens, enhancing their prosperity and the efficiency of services. It sounds so simple!

The new cabinet will be building from a strong base. Security is good – excellent when compared to the rest of Iraq – the economy is growing at around 10% and the KRG should have more money to spend this year than last year. A lot of cabinets around the world would be delighted to inherit that. More than that, the new cabinet will inherit a political mood of optimism and a recognition that society is going through radical and dynamic change – the bulk of it for the good. There is a mood of opportunity in the Kurdistan Region’s cities: the realization that the Region having been held back for so many decades is on the verge of doing something special. That is a valuable political commodity.

That this should be true in an Iraq that is embroiled in a succession of political crises and in a wider region that has been engulfed by seismic changes, is a testament to the achievements of previous cabinets and the efforts of the people of the Kurdistan Region.

But, of course, there is no cause for complacency. Erbil’s ability to leverage what it needs from Baghdad and Baghdad’s ability to deliver are crucial for the continued well-being of Kurdistan. Baghdad needs the Kurds and the Kurds need Baghdad more so than ever.

Many Kurds will be watching the future of Syria and particularly the fate of the Syrian Kurds closely. We in the UK make no secret of our view that Assad must go and be replaced by a government that is democratic and respects the rights of Syria’s minorities. Iran’s current belligerence and self-destructive tendencies will also concern many Kurds as well as pretty much every capital of the region and the wider world.

It is a real asset that Kurdish society is open and receptive to outside ideas and exchanges with other countries. We in the UK feel that and welcome it. By my reckoning, half a dozen KRG ministers either have been or are about to visit Britain in a period of just a few months. We are delighted that the UK and KRG Higher Education Ministers are to address a conference in London on developing further the momentum behind the current excellent higher education links.

We see that thirst for international exchanges being replicated between Turkey and the KRG.

There is no room complacency domestically, either. The KRG spends a high proportion of its income on government salaries. It is easy to add people to the government’s payroll; harder to reduce that burden to ensure long term sustainability and an effective balance between the state and private sector. The hydrocarbon sector has seen significant growth and progress; dramatic, even. But over the coming years, the region will see a step change in the amount of infrastructure needed to produce and export much more oil and gas than before: a huge task for any government.

Financial services are in their infancy here. The government will inevitably face the challenge of having to effect a rapid change from a cash economy that isolates Kurdistan from the world to a financial sector that ties the region into the way the rest of the world does financial business.

Kurdish society will be watching to see that governmental services are delivered in line with their growing expectations. Previous cabinets have worked to improve the position of women, to reduce the role of political parties, to develop a functioning and fair judicial system and to deepen respect for human rights. That is vital work that requires focused attention for decades.

Of course, it is not just down to the new cabinet. Parliament, the opposition and the media need to continue their central function of holding the government to account.

We should be in for another fascinating year in the growth of Kurdistan Region!