The White House says Vice President Joe Biden has spoken with Ecuador's president about National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden's request for asylum in Ecuador.

White House spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan says Biden and President Rafael Correa had a wide-ranging conversation Friday. She says the White House won't provide more details.

It's the highest-level conversation between the U.S. and Ecuador that has been publicly disclosed since Ecuador began considering Snowden's asylum request.

The U.S. believes Snowden is holed up in a Moscow airport's transit zone. He may be waiting to see whether Ecuador or another country may grant him asylum. Snowden is charged with violating American espionage laws.

Officials in Ecuador have said they can't start considering Snowden's asylum request until he arrives in Ecuador or one of Ecuador's embassies.