QUITO: Ecuador has requested a meeting with Britain to discuss the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who it says is losing weight and suffering vision problems as he languishes in Ecuador's embassy in London.

The Foreign Minister, Ricardo Patino, told reporters in Quito he had requested a meeting with his British counterpart, William Hague.

Julian Assange on the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in August.

Mr Patino said he wanted to discuss Mr Assange's worsening health after more than four months in the embassy where he is sheltering to avoid prosecution.

Ecuador said it had asked the British government for written assurances that Mr Assange, who has been granted asylum by Quito, will not be arrested in the event he has to go to hospital.