Crossword Genius

State to equip keen vicar at regular intervals (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

armenia

'state' is the definition.
(I know that Armenia is a Asian country)

'equip keen vicar at regular intervals' is the wordplay.
'equip' becomes 'arm' (arm can mean to equip someone with something).
'at regular intervals' indicates alternate letters.
'keen'+'vicar'='keenvicar'
The alternate letters of 'keenvicar' are 'enia'.
'arm'+'enia'='ARMENIA'

'to' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for armenia that I've seen before include "Country in the Caucasus, capital Yerevan" , "Transcaucasian nation" , "Mountainous republic bordering Turkey" , "Former Soviet republic of south-east Europe, capital Yerevan" , "Landlocked country of southwest Asia" .)

I've seen this clue in The Everyman puzzle in The Observer.
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