The UK government is considering a request from Ecuador to hold talks on the future of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the Foreign Office has said, according to BBC News.

It confirmed Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patino, who will visit Assange this month, had offered to meet Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Assange has lived in the Ecuadorean embassy in London for a year, having been granted political asylum there.

He faces extradition to Sweden over sex allegations, which he denies.

Once in Sweden, he fears onward extradition to the U.S. where he could face charges over the release of top secret documents by Wikileaks.

The publication of a mass of leaked diplomatic cables by the website has embarrassed a number of countries.