London: Swedish authorities have written to the Ecuadorean foreign office in UK seeking a meeting with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, as he began his fifth year holed out in the Ecuadoran embassy here.
It could prove to be a major breakthrough in the protracted standoff between the 44-year-old Assange and Sweden, where he is wanted in relation to a 2010 rape allegation.
"Interviewing Assange inside the embassy has been Ecuador's request for four years. Over 1,400 days we have been asking the Swedes to come and interrogate him in our embassy.
So it is welcome there has been change of heart and some sign of political will," said Ecuador's foreign minister, Dr Guillaume Long.
"But since November 2010 and March 2015, Sweden made 44 such requests to other countries to interview suspects in other cases. So it is very common and could be easily done, but we faced total refusal for years," he added.
Long confirmed that the Swedish attorney general had made a formal request that was being considered, 'The Guardian' reported.
The Australian national has been living inside Ecuador's UK mission for four years after the South American country offered him asylum.
Assange denies the rape charges and has fought against being extradited to Sweden, saying he fears he would then be transferred to the US to face charges on Wikileaks' activities.
A UN working group had ruled in February that Assange was being arbitrarily detained.
However, the UK Foreign Office has called for the UN decision to be reviewed, saying Assange was staying in the embassy voluntarily and that the UK had a legal duty to extradite him to Sweden.
Long said Ecuador's legal department will now examine Sweden's request and would also want assurances that the UK would not seek to prosecute Assange for avoiding arrest.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It could prove to be a major breakthrough in the protracted standoff between the 44-year-old Assange and Sweden, where he is wanted in relation to a 2010 rape allegation.
"Interviewing Assange inside the embassy has been Ecuador's request for four years. Over 1,400 days we have been asking the Swedes to come and interrogate him in our embassy.
"But since November 2010 and March 2015, Sweden made 44 such requests to other countries to interview suspects in other cases. So it is very common and could be easily done, but we faced total refusal for years," he added.
Advertisement
The Australian national has been living inside Ecuador's UK mission for four years after the South American country offered him asylum.
Advertisement
A UN working group had ruled in February that Assange was being arbitrarily detained.
Advertisement
Long said Ecuador's legal department will now examine Sweden's request and would also want assurances that the UK would not seek to prosecute Assange for avoiding arrest.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Free From Prison, Julian Assange Plans To "Rediscover Life", Enjoy Freedom Australian PM Hails Assange's Return, Opposition Says He Is "No Martyr" US Says Julian Assange, Now Free, Had Put People In Danger World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage 4 Passengers Die As 12 Coaches Of Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express Derail In UP Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report Woman Dies After Jumping Off Elevated Platform At Delhi Metro Station: Cops No Coercive Action Against Delhi-NCR Home Buyers Over EMI: Supreme Court 60 Rare Siamese Crocodiles Hatch In Cambodia In A Conservation Win Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.