Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban opened the 2018 edition of the EuroSkills Championship here on Wednesday, welcoming competitors from Russia, Montenegro and Kazakhstan as well as EU countries.

"We have to remind ourselves every day that Hungary is a country that doesn't have any raw materials or natural resources," Orban declared. "Therefore we Hungarians can only rely on our intellectual and physical strength, our knowledge and our work."

EuroSkills is a European Championship for young professionals to promote and showcase their skills. It is the European regional version of WorldSkills Competition, formerly known as "Skills Olympics".

"Europe's population is aging and shrinking, therefore, Europe faces a serious competitive disadvantage today," the Hungarian prime minister warned.

According to Orban, "the only way to overcome this disadvantage is by training excellent professionals. Europe can only get its strength back if we raise and train the best skilled workers of the world. This means that your talent, knowledge and diligence are the gold standard of Europe's competitiveness."

EuroSkills is held every two years in one of the WorldSkills Europe member states. Europe's most talented young skilled professionals compete to be the best of the continent. Competitor age limit is 25 years and each country may enter one competitor or team per trade.

There are six competition sectors in EuroSkills -- information and communication technology, manufacturing and engineering technology, construction and building technology, transportation and logistics, social and personal services, and finally creative arts and fashion, but the Hungarian leader underlined the importance of Mathematics in his welcoming address.

The championship runs until Sept. 29.