"His status of the person who is seeking asylum still remains in force," the foreign minister told the Universo newspaper.
Valencia added that the issue of Assange must be settled through the direct dialogue between the whistleblower’s lawyers and the authorities of the United Kingdom, where he is currently residing in the Ecuadorian embassy.
READ MORE: Ecuador Named Assange Adviser to Embassy in Russia, Then Annulled Decision — MP
In July, Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno said that Assange might leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London at any moment if his rights and international norms were guaranteed.
In late September, Moreno expressed hope to work together with the UK authorities to reach a legal solution that would allow Assange to leave the embassy.