Washington, June 21: The US State Department has said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is opting for "quiet diplomacy" with Saudi officials, over the issue of the kingdom''s ban on women driving.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that "the subject of driving did come up" during a recent conversation with Saudi Prince Saud on the issue of Yemen and Syria.

"The secretary has been engaged, as have others, in quiet diplomacy on this," Fox News quoted Nuland, as saying.

A group of Saudi activists have said that Clinton and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton should address the issue openly rather than negotiating behind-the-scenes.

"We were encouraged to see media reports that U. S. diplomats have quietly pressured the Saudi government to give women the right to drive. Now is the time for the U. S. to show its muscle and make that pressure public," the group said in an open letter to Clinton written two weeks ago.

Nuland, however, said that Clinton''s support is strong, though her methods may not be apparent.

"I think she is making a judgment on how best to support universal human rights for women. There are times when it makes sense to do so publicly and there are times for quiet diplomacy," she added. (ANI)