Mexico City ? Mexico has broken a decades-old tradition of rejecting U.S. aid workers, granting permission for the first group of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers ever to work here.

Mindful of national sensitivity over U.S. influence, though, the government plans to keep the group out of public view.

Still, for a country that has kicked out or criticized U.S. experts in the past — and for one touchy about being viewed as underdeveloped — it’s a big change.

The first 15 volunteers, scheduled to arrive this summer, won’t be performing the Peace Corps’ usual tasks in construction, rural schools, clinics or farmer training. They will be tucked away in research centers to work on information technology, science and business development.

“This is not the typical (Peace Corps) program. These people are not going to be working out in the villages,” said Efrain Aceves Pina, international affairs director for Mexico’s National Science and Technology Council.

Housing for the volunteers has not yet been decided.

After years of rejecting Peace Corps help, the government agreed to accept the program last year when U.S.-Mexican relations hit a low point over Mexico’s lack of support for the war in Iraq.

Mexican officials insist the idea came up as a natural extension of existing scientific and technical cooperation programs. But many analysts think President Vicente Fox went along to try to smooth relations with President Bush.