Paraguay Río de la Plata to the Paraná River, and finally up the Paraguay River. In 1537, they established the city of Asunción, which was the first capital of the Governorate of Paraguay and Río de la Plata. Paraguay was the epicenter of the Jesuit Missions, where the Guaraní people were educated and introduced to Christianity and European culture under the direction of the Society of Jesus in Jesuit reductions, mainly during the 17th century. However, after the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spanish territories in 1767, Paraguay increasingly became a peripheral colony, with few urban centers and settlers. Following independence
Foreign relations of Paraguay and international relations of Paraguay are officially handled by the Ministry of Foreign Relations, which answers to the executive branch of the government. The current Minister of Foreign Relations as of 2018 is Luis Alberto Castiglioni Unlike any other country in South America, Paraguay recognizes the Republic of China instead of the People's Republic of China. Although not a particularly large country in absolute terms, Paraguay presently is the largest country maintaining official diplomatic relations with the Republic of China. Paraguay is a member of the following international organizations: CAN (associate), FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD (also known as