Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga confirmed Tuesday the government will push ahead with the current relocation plan for the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa.

But the pair, who met at the prime minister's residence in the morning, also agreed not to rule out minor changes in the plan to move the facility farther north if they are realistic, Nukaga said.

During the talks, the two rejected an alternative proposal by the city of Nago, near where the new facility will be located, to move the construction site far off the coast, Nukaga told reporters after emerging from the meeting.