President Park Geun-hye urged farmers and fishermen Friday to explore new markets and lay a new "Silk Road" for agricultural and fisheries exports.

Park made the remarks in a meeting with leaders of the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors, business representatives and top officials from relevant government ministries, saying the government will do what it can to boost the sectors' competitiveness in the global market.

New opportunities have been created following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the United Arab Emirates on cooperation on halal food products as well as the upcoming enactment of a free trade agreement with China, Park said.

"I'm pleased that we were able to establish a bridgehead for our excellent agricultural food products to expand into the Middle East and also take the first step toward targeting the global halal food market," she said during the meeting at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

The MOU was signed during Park's four-nation trip to the Middle East early this month.

"I believe the South Korea-China FTA should also be dealt with more enthusiastically with a defiant attitude that the door to the huge Chinese market has been opened, rather than shrinking back out of fear of the (domestic) market opening up," Park said. "I hope all of our farmers and fishers will have confidence and take the lead in paving a Silk Road for exports of agricultural and fishery products."

The Silk Road was a former trade route that connected the West and East across the Asian continent. (Yonhap)