Ecuador could remove Julian Assange from its embassy in London where he has been seeking asylum for more than five years.

The country has stated for the first time that it is looking for a mediator to help it remove the WikiLeaks founder from its embassy in Knightsbridge.

Assange has been hiding in the building since 2012 in order to avoid arrest over now-dropped Swedish rape charges.

He remains over fears he will be extradited to America and put on trial for WikiLeaks publishing leaked secret US military documents and diplomatic cables in 2010.

Foreign minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa said on Tuesday that sometimes notable asylum cases require mediation by a third party.

She told reporters the situation is "not sustainable", commenting: "No solution will be achieved without international cooperation and the cooperation of the United Kingdom, which has also shown interest in seeking a way out."