By decree of the President of Romania, on July 7, 2011, Professor Mihai Putinar was awarded the National Order of Merit, with the rank of Knight. This is one of the three highest national distinctions an individual or an institution can be "recognized for exceptional contributions to the Romanian state and people, for heroic military acts or for outstanding accomplishments in professional activity.”

The presidential decree was issued on the occasion of the 7th Congress of Romanian Mathematicians, “as a sign of high appreciation for all the work and efforts Dr. Putinar put in promoting, to the highest levels of scientific life, the Romanian school of mathematics.” The first Congress of Romanian Mathematicians was held in 1929, as a symbol of unification and concentration of mathematical talent, after the formation of the greater Romanian state almost a century ago.