President Dmitry Medvedev has hired an investment banker as an adviser on social issues, says Reuters.  A new, ‘liberal‘ package of anti-monopoly legislation being put forward by the Duma includes price control measures and rules that require monopolies to hold tenders for purchases.  Other legislation is designed to curb the sale of illegal liquor.  Silvinit’s sale of its 32% stake in International Potash Company is fueling rumors that Suleiman Kerimov is planning to merge the former with Uralkali.  Moscow’s bond sale looks likely to draw more investors than the Kremlin’s OFZ offering, says Bloomberg, due to higher yields and increased confidence in Moscow’s ‘attractive‘ prospects and administration.  Russia has imposed new restrictions on meat imports, not just from the US this time but spanning Argentina, Brazil, and Poland.