An Australian has been granted asylum in a foreign country after years on the run.

Queensland man Julian Assange has been granted political asylum by the government of Ecuador.

Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa has confirmed his country will welcome the WikiLeaks founder and internationally-wanted man, who has been living at the Ecuadorian embassy in London for the past two years.

“This could be resolved tomorrow if the United Kingdom gave him the safe-conduct,” Correa was quoted as saying on Tuesday by Mexico's state-run Notimex news agency.

Correa was referring to repeated claims by the British government that Assange would be arrested the moment he steps foot outside the embassy.

The move was foreshadowed earlier this week, when Mr Assange told a press conference that he “will be leaving the embassy soon”.

There are reports that he is suffering and will seek treatment for a heart defect, a chronic lung condition and high blood pressure.

The 43-year-old man from Magnetic Island, off the coast of North Queensland, holed-up in the embassy in June 2012 after British authorities ruled he would be extradited to Sweden over alleged sex crimes.

At the time, Mr Assange said he was worried that the accusations in Sweden were just a pretext that would eventually see him sent him to the United States.

The US has been gunning for Assange since his online activism group WikiLeaks published classified military and diplomatic documents in 2010.

Ecuadorean foreign minister Ricardo Patino says the country would protect Mr Assange while he fights for his freedom.

“This situation must come to an end. Two years is simply too long,” Patino said.