PARIS, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Next year's Golden League meeting in Paris faces the axe after French energy giant GDF Suez officially withdrew its sponsorship Wednesday, according to the French Athletics Federation (FFA).

'It is vital for French athletics to maintain a Golden League meeting in this country,' said FFA president Bernard Amsalem. 'We must quickly unite all parties concerned around a new project.

'The FFA can bring all its sporting and technical expertise, so why not mobilise its institutional and private partners around an ambitious project,' he added.

GDF Suez, who had been involved in the event for 10 years, contributed up to 40 percent of the meeting's budget.